Spring Luncheon at Singapore Embassy in Tokyo シンガポール大使館での春昼食

April 13, 2018

<日本語は英語の後に続きます>

Recently, I was the emcee for a Spring Festival Luncheon Celebration held at the Embassy of Singapore in Tokyo. The event brought together the Singaporean community living in Japan, and also helped promote Japan-Singapore cultural exchange and interaction. Diplomatic relations between Singapore and Japan were formally established on 26 April 1966. In 1973, the Singapore Government purchased a plot of land in the Roppongi district, Minato ward where many foreign embassies are located. The Embassy complex (consisting of the main chancery, the Ambassador’s residence and several staff apartments) was designed by renowned Japanese architect Shinichi Okada, who also designed Japan’s award-winning Supreme Court located in Chiyoda ward.

The event also featured an exhibition for Ciel Liu’s work as a Singaporean Artist, Freelance Producer, Photographer and Documentary Filmmaker. At present, she is strongly focused on video projects aimed at raising awareness internationally of Japanese traditional culture and crafts. She is also self-funding and working on an ongoing project documenting Outsider artists in Cuba.

We enjoyed a buffet spread of local Singaporean food including two styles of Chicken (roast and Hainan) for Chicken Rice, Kueh Pie Tee, Carrot Cake, Laksa, and Bubur Chacha! Yum! Located in Omotesando, Tokyo, Rakudo uses the superior ingredients available in Japan to bring authentic Singapore food to the people in Japan.

Did You Know? 皆様、ご存知でしょうか？

The tradition of Yu Sheng or Lo Hei originated from the phrase’s Cantonese meaning of ‘tossing up good fortune’ using raw fish salad which symbolises an ‘abundance of wealth and long life’. Made up of white and green radish, carrots, capsicum, turnips, red pickled ginger, slices of raw fish (commonly salmon), crackers, topped with the fragrant dressing of plum sauce, five-spice powder, sesame oil, this dish is usually served as an appetiser.

“Lo Hei” in Cantonese, where 捞 “lo” (literally mixing) means “tossing up good fortune”, refers to the ritual adopted in Singapore of tossing the yu sheng and saying of auspicious phrases before eating it. It is popularly believed that the higher the toss, the better your prospects and fortune in the year ahead. Before the tossing begins, the dish needs to be prepared, usually by one individual who adds the ingredients one by one in a specific order, while the reciting wishes of luck and prosperity evoked by the names of the ingredients used. With the plate placed in the middle, diners stand around the table to toss the ingredients whilst exchanging blessings and words of prosperity.

With Rakudo’s Chef KT Yeo, award-winning Singapore chef and one of the pioneers of private fine dining in Singapore. As a child, Chef KT honed his cooking skills by helping his parents cook in their humble Singapore street-food stall. Later he trained at the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu and has also been inducted into Le Cordon Bleu’s Hall of Fame for his achievements as a chef. Chef KT has also authored award-winning cookbooks and regularly appears on TV, both in Singapore and internationally.

Hope that having more of these events can help contribute to Japan-Singapore relations in the years to come!

今後も多くの活動を引き続き行い、シンガポールと日本の関係に貢献することができれば幸いです！

Incidentally, I was recently interviewed and featured by the Overseas Singaporean Unit on their official media in an article on “Giving Back Through Mentorship” and “Contributing from Afar: Rachel Leng”! The OSU in the Prime Minister’s Office is part of the Government of Singapore’s efforts to engage its citizens overseas (under the Ministry of Culture, Community, and Youth). Read more on my mentoring activities in my post on 「Harvard Prize Book 2018」and The Appeal of Liberal Arts リベラルアーツの魅力

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